Cricket: NZ set to go on standby for World Cup - report

11:05 AM Monday Dec 1, 2008

NZ cricket CEO Justin Vaughan. Photo /

New Zealand and Australia are set to be placed on standby to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported today.

The event is scheduled to take place in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh but, after last week's terror attacks in Mumbai and on-going security concerns in Pakistan, the ICC will discuss putting another country on standby when it meets in South Africa this weekend.

Australia and New Zealand will host the World Cup in 2015 but there is a possibility it could be staged on local shores four years earlier, the Telegraph reported.

Australia was put on standby to host the 2007 World Cup when the West Indies struggled to have new stadiums built on time, while earlier this year the ICC postponed the Champions Trophy in Pakistan because of concerns over player safety.